Marking rollers



June 20, 1961 c, WORTH 2,988,990

MARKING ROLLERS Filed Aug. 5, 1958 26 3O 2O 32 28 IO I NVEN TOR.fifw/vc/s C. Wow-H ATTORNEY United States Paten Patented June 20, 1961York Filed Aug. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 753,314 8 Claims. (Cl. 101-219) Thisinvention relates generally to an intermittently rotated roller, andmore particularly is directed to a marking roller effective tointermittently apply markings to a continuous web or sheet, for example,to apply markings to successive sections or lengths of a continuous webof wrapping material which are to be cut from the latter in aconventional wrapping machine.

Heretofore, it has been proposed to provide a marking apparatus which iseffective to apply inked impressions to a continuous web of sheetmaterial, for example, a web being fed to an existing wrapping machineor the like, and wherein the marking apparatus includes a marking rollermounted on a drive shaft and rotatable with respect to the latter, agear transmission rotating the drive shaft in synchronism with theadvancement of the web of sheet material, a friction clutch for couplingthe marking roller to the drive shaft, and an electromagneticallyoperated latch which normally holds the marking roller against rotationin a position where a logotype or other marking element provided on aportion of the periphery of the marking roll faces away from the web ofsheet material so that the latter can be advanced while the markingroller is at rest, with the electromagnetically operated latch beingperiodically released to permit rotation of the marking roller with itsdrive shaft in order to apply a marking to the web of sheet material.Although such previously proposed marking apparatus is capable ofapplying markings to the advancing web of sheet material at locationswhich are spaced apart along the latter by distances which areindependent of the circumference of the marking roller by reason of thefact that the advancement of the web through a substantial portion ofthe distance between successive markings may be effected while themarking roller is atrest, such apparatus has the disadvantage ofrequiring a relatively complicated and expensive gear transmission foreffecting rotation of the drive shaft carrying the marking roller,

and the further disadvantage of a possible difference between the speedof advancement of the web and the linear speed atthe periphery of themarking roller, as the latter ,is 'not directly driven from theadvancing web.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide aroller, particularly a marking roller, which is intermittently rotateddirectly from a moving surface, for

example, a continuous web of sheet material being fed to a wrappingmachine or the like.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a roller is mountedfixedly upon a rotatable shaft,. and a disc having a bearer rim isrotatably mounted on the shaft at least at one side of the roller and isyieldably urged in the axial direction toward the roller to provide africtional coupling between such disc and the roller so that,

when the bearer rim peripherally engages a moving surface, such as acontinuous advancing web of sheet material, the roller and shaft tend torotate with the bearer rim carrying disc or discs, but such rotation ofthe roller can be arrested by forcibly resisting rotation of the shaftwithout affecting the rotation of the disc having its bearer rim incontinuous contact with the moving surface. Thus, a logotype or othermarking element can be secured to the surface of the roller tointermittent-1y apply markings to the moving surface during thoseperiods when the shaft and roller are free to rotate with the bearer rimcarrying disc or discs.

drawing forming a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a roller assembly embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an axial, expanded sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic, side elevational view illustrating oneapplication of the roller assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the roller assemblyembodying the invention and there generally identified by the referencenumeral 10 includes a roller body 12 having a central bore 14 extendingtheret-hrough and receiving a shaft 16 to which the body 12 is secured,for example, by a set screw 1-8.

A marking element 20, for example, the illustrated rubber logotypeadhesively secured to the peripheral surface of body 12, extends over acircumferential portion of the body 12 for repeatedly applying markingsto a moving surface, such as, a continuous web of sheet material.

Bearer discs 22 and 24 are mounted on the shaft 16 at the opposite sidesof roller body 12 and are free to both rotate and move axially withrespect to the shaft. The bearer discs 22 and 24 have peripheral bearerrims 26 and 28, respectively, of a material, for example, rubber or thelike, having a high coefficient of friction with respect to the surfaceto be marked, and the outer radius of each of the bearer rims 26 and 28is at least as large as the radial distance from the axis of shaft 16 tothe raised marking surfaces of the marking element 20. Thus, when theshaft 16 is mounted with its axis extending transversely relative to thedirection of movement of the surface to be marked, and with the bearerrims 26 and 28 in rolling contact with such surface, the bearer rims andthe related discs 22 and 24 are positively rotated in response to themovement of the surface to be marked.

In order to provide a frictional coupling between the discs 22 and 24and the roller body 12, clutch discs 30 and 3 2 of a material having arelatively high coefi'icient of friction are mounted on shaft 16, andare axially interposed between bearer disc 22 and the'adjacent endsurface of body 12 and between bearer disc 24 and the adjacent endsurface of body 12, respectively. Further, the bearer discs 22 and 24are urged axially toward body 12 so that the bearer discs and theopposite end surfaces of the roller body are maintained in frictionalcontact with the opposite side surfaces of clutch discs 30 and 32. Inthe illustrated roller assembly 10, such axial biasing of bearer discs22 and 24 toward the roller body 12 is effected by helical compressionsprings 34 and 36 which are axially interposed, under initialcompression, between bearer disc 22 and an abutment collar 38 secured bya set screw 40 on shaft 16, and between bearer disc 24 and an abutmentcollar 42 secured on shaft 16 by a set screw 44. It will be apparentthat the initial compression of the springs 34 and 36 may be varied bydisplacing the abutment collars 38 and 42 axially along shaft 16,thereby to adjust the axial contact pressure of the opposite endsurfaces of body 12 and of the bearer discs 22 and 24 against clutchdiscs 30 and 32, for correspondingly adjusting the torque transmittedfrom the bearer discs to the roller body.

By reason of the construction of the roller assembly 10 described above,roller body :12 and shaft 16 tend to rotate with bearer discs 22 and 24when the rims 26 and 28 of the latter are in rolling contact with amoving surface, so that the marking element 20 will apply repeatedmarkings to such moving surface. However, if

the shaft 16 is forcibly held against rotation with the roller body 12angularly positioned so that the marking element 20 is out of contactwith the moving surface, the bearer discs 22 and 24 can slip relative tothe roller body and can continue to rotate by reason of the rollingcontact between their bearer rims 26 and 28 and the moving surface.Accordingly, the roller body 12 will rotate to apply a marking to themoving surface only when the shaft 16 is free to rotate and, at thattime, the linear speed at the raised marking surfaces of the markingelement 20 will be exactly equal to the speed at which the surface to bemarked is moving by reason of the fact that the roller body 12 isdirectly driven from the moving surface. Since rotation of roller body12 can be arrested in an angular position where the marking element 20is out of contact with the moving surface, the distances between thesuccessive markings applied to the moving surface may be madeindependent of the circumferential dimension of the roller body. Thus,relatively large distances can be provided between the successiveapplied markings while conveniently using a roller of relatively smalldiameter. Further, the distances between the successive applied markingsmay be varied without having to replace the marking roller with onehaving a suitable circumferential dimension. It will also be seen that,since the marking roller is maintained in its inoperative or nonmarkingposition merely by forcibly arresting rotation of shaft 16, the lattercan be conveniently and inexpensively mounted in fixed bearings,whereas, in some previous attempts to provide a marking apparatus inwhich the marking roller is driven directly from the moving surface tobe marked and the distance between the successive applied markings ismade independent of the circumferential dimension of the marking roller,the axis of rotation of the marking roller was moved toward and awayfrom the surface to be marked in order to move the marking rollerbetween its operative or marking position and its inoperative ornon-marking position.

Referring now to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the marking rollerassembly described above with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 may beconveniently employed in a marking apparatus for intermittently applyinginked impressions or markings to a continuous web 46 of sheet materialwhich is continuously advanced in the direction of the arrow 48 over asupport or back-up roll 50. In such apparatus, the shaft 16 of rollerassembly 10 is rotatably supported in suitable bearings (not shown)which are located so that the bearer rims 26 and 28 will bear downwardlyupon the web 46 at the line of contact of the latter with the back-uproll 50, whereby the bearer discs 22 and 24 are rotated in thecounter-clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 3, in response to themovement of the web.

The apparatus of FIG. 3 further includes an ink fountain or reservoir 52which opens upwardly so that an ink supplying roller 54 can dip into thereservoir 52 and pick up ink from the latter. A metering roller 56 isrotatably supported in rolling contact with the ink supplying roller 54,and the roller 56 is preferably provided with bearer rims at itsopposite ends which are in rolling contact with the bearer rims ofroller assembly 16 so that the metering and ink supplying rollers arerotatably driven from the bearer rims 26 and 28 of assembly 10. It willbe apparent that, when the roller body 12 rotates with the bearer discs22 and 24, the raised marking surfaces of marking element are moved pastthe metering roller 56 in rolling contact with the surface of the latterto pick up ink therefrom and, thereafter, such ink is deposited upon theupper surface of web 46 during rolling contact of the marking element 20with such web.

If the roller body 12 is permitted to rotate continuously with thebearer discs 22 and 24 in response to the movement of the web 46, thenthe distance along the web from the beginning of one inked impression ormarking to the beginning of the succeeding marking is equal to thecircumference of the roller body at the raised marking surfaces ofmarking element 20. However, with the roller assembly 16 embodying thepresent invention, rotation of the roller body 12 can be arrested atwill with the marking element 20 being angularly displaced with respectto both the web 46 and the metering roller 56 while the bearer discs 22and 24 continue to rotate by reason of their rolling contact with theweb 46. Thus, the distance between the successive inked impressions ormarkings is no longer dependent upon the circumference of the markingroller, but rather upon the period during which the roller body 12 ismaintained in the position of FIG. 3 while the web 46 continues itsmovement. Since rotation of the roller body 12 is halted merely byforcibly preventing rotation of its shaft 16, and the bearer discs 22and 24 are free to continue to rotate in response to move ment of theweb, it will be seen that the ink supplying roller 54 and the meteringroller 56 which derive their rotational movement from the bearer rims ofthe assembly 10 also continue to rotate, thereby to permit the use ofquick drying inks without the danger that such inks will dry upon thesurfaces of the rollers 54 and 56 during the intervals between theperiodic marking operations.

FIG. 3 of the drawings illustrates a simple mechanical arrangement forcontrolling the intermittent rotation of the roller body 12 of assembly10. Such control arrangement may include a stop or abutment 58 securedon the shaft 16 to rotate with the latter, and a latch lever 60 which ispivotally supported intermediate its ends, as at 62, and carries a stop64, in the form of a roller, at its lower end. The latch lever 60 canrock or pivot between an operative or engaged position shown in fulllines in FIG. 3, and wherein the stop 64 is interposed in the circularpath of travel of the abutment 58 with the shaft 16, and an inoperativeor released position, shown in broken lines in FIG. 3, and wherein thestop 64 is withdrawn from the patch of travel of the abutment 58. Thus,it will be apparent that, when latch lever 60 is in its operativeposition, the stop 64 thereon is engaged by the abutment 58 to preventrotation of the shaft 16 and the roller body 12. Preferably, theabutment 58 is angularly positioned with respect to the shaft 16 sothat, when abutment 58 engages stop 64, the marking element 20 on rollerbody 12 will be disposed in the desired angular position, that is, outof contact with both the web 46 and the surface of metering roller 56.

In order to control the movement of latch lever 60 between the abovedescribed operative and released positions, a spring 66 may be connectedto the upper end portion of the latch lever to urge the latter to rockin the direction disposing the latch lever in its operative position, asshown. Further, a solenoid 68 may have its movable armature 70 pivotallyconnected, as at 72, to one end of a link 74, while the other end oflink 74 is pivotally connected, as at 76, to the upper end of latchlever 60. Thus, when solenoid 68 is energized to retract its armature70, such movement of the armature is transmitted by link 74 to the latchlever 60 in order to rock the latter to its released position. With thearrangement described above, it is only necessary to hold the latchlever 60 in its released position until the abutment 58 has moved pastthe stop 64 of the latch lever, whereupon, the latter may return to itsoperative position for reengagement by the abutment 58 upon thecompletion of a full revolution of the roller body 12. Thus, theassembly 10 is effective to apply a single inked impression or markingto the web 46 during each intermittent energization of the solenoid 68,and the energization of the solenoid may be controlled in any suitablemanner, for example, in synchronism with the movement of the web 46 orwith the operation of an associated machine for utilizing the sheetmaterial of the web.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention and a singleapplication thereof have been described in detail herein with referenceto the accompanying drawing, it is apparent that the invention is notlimited thereto, and that various changes and modifications may beeffected in the described roller assembly and other applications thereofmay be contemplated without departing from the scope or spirit of theinvention, except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1.A roller assembly comprising a rotatable shaft, a roller body fixed onsaid shaft to rotate with the latter, bearer discs mounted on said shaftat the opposite sides of said body and being free to rotate and moveaxially with respect to said shaft, clutch discs of friction materialaxially interposed between the opposite sides of said body and theadjacent bearer discs, said bearer discs having peripheral bearer rimsfor rolling contact with a moving surface to effect correspondingrotation of said bearer discs, abutments on said shaft at the sides ofsaid bearer discs remote from said body, releasable means fixing saidabutments on said shaft at axially adjusted positions along the latter,and compression springs interposed axially between said abutments andsaid bearer discs to urge the latter axially toward said body withforces dependent upon the axially adjusted positions of said abutments,so that said clutch discs tend to effect rotation of said body with saidbearer discs, and the rotation of said body can be halted by forciblypreventing turning of said shaft while said clutch discs slip relativeto said body and bearer discs.

2. In a marking apparatus; the combination of a roller assemblyincluding a rotatable shaft, a roller body fixed on said shaft andcarrying a marking element on its periphery for rolling and markingcontact with a moving surface as said body is rotated with said shaft,bearer discs mounted on said shaft coaxially with said roller body andbeing rotatable relative to said shaft and body, said bearer discshaving periphery bearer rims adapted for continuous rolling contact withthe moving surface to effect rotation of said bearer discs, andfrictional means tending to rotate said body with said bearer discs; anink supplying system including an ink reservoir, an ink supplying rollerdipping into said reservoir and a metering roller in rolling contactwith said ink supplying roller and having bearer rims at its oppositeends in rolling contact with said bearer rims of said bearer discs sothat said ink supplying and metering rollers are rotated from saidbearer discs and said metering roller transfers ink to said markingelement upon rotation of said roller body with said bearer discs; andmeans operative to forcibly resist turning of said shaft with saidroller body in a position Where said marking element is angularly spacedfrom said metering roller and the moving surface so that said frictionalmeans slips while said bearer discs continue to rotate for driving saidink supplying and metering rollers to prevent drying of ink on thelatter.

3. In a marking apparatus; the combination of a rollor assemblyincluding a rotatable shaft, a roller body fixed on said shaft andcarrying a marking element on its periphery for rolling and markingcontact with a moving surface as said body is rotated with said shaft,bearer discs mounted on said shaft coaxially with said roller body andbeing rotatable relative to said shaft and body, said bearer discshaving peripheral bearer rims in continuous rolling contact with themoving surface being marked to effect the sole means for rotation ofsaid bearer discs, and frictional means tending to rotate said body withsaid bearer discs; and means for controlling the rotation of said rollerbody including an abutment fixed with respect to said shaft to movealong a circular path in response to rotation of said shaft with saidroller body, and a stop movable between an operative position, wheresaid stop projects into said circular path for engagement by saidabutment to halt rotation of said shaft, and a released position, wheresaid stop is withdrawn from said circular path and frees said shaft forrotation with the roller body, said abutment being angularly disposedwith respe'ct to said marking element so that, when said abutmentengages said stop, said marking element is remote from the movingsurface.

4. In a marking apparatus; the combination of a rollor assemblyincluding a rotatable shaft, a roller body fixed on said shaft andcarrying a marking element on its periphery for rolling and markingcontact with a moving surface as said body is rotated with said shaft,bearer discs mounted on said shaft coaxially with said roller body andbeing rotatable relative to said shaft and body, said bearer discshaving peripheral bearer rims adapted for continuous rolling contactwith the moving surface to effect rotation of said bearer discs, andfrictional means tending to rotate said body with said bearer disc; anink supplying system including an ink reservoir, an ink supplying rollerdipping into said reservoir and ametering roller in rolling contact withsaid ink supplying roller and having bearer rims at its opposite ends inrolling contact with said bearer rims of said bearer discs so that saidink supplying and metering rollers are rotated from said bearer discsand saidtmetering roller transfers ink to said marking element uponrotation of said roller body with said bearer discs; and means forcontrolling the rotation of said roller body including an abutment fixedwith respect to said shaft to move along a circular path in response torotation of said shaft with said roller body, a stop movable into andout of said circular path, said abutment being angularly disposed withrespect to said marking element so that, when said stop projects intosaid circular path and is engaged by said abutment, said marking elementis halted at a position angularly spaced from said metering roller andthe moving surface while said frictional means slips to permit continuedrotation of said bearer discs and metering and ink supplying rollers forpreventing drying of ink on the latter, and actuating means forperiodically withdrawing said stop from said circular path to permitrotation of said roller body with said bearer discs.

5. In a marking apparatus; the combination of a roller assemblyincluding a rotatable shaft, a roller body fixed on said shaft to rotatewith the latter, a marking element on a portion of the periphery of saidroller body for rolling contact with a moving surface upon rotation ofsaid roller body, bearer discs on said shaft at the opposite sides ofsaid body and being rotatable and axially slidable with respect to saidshaft, bearer rims on the peripheries of said bearer discs and adaptedfor rolling contact with the moving surface to effect rotation of saidbearer discs, clutch discs of friction material interposed axiallybetween the opposite sides of said body and the adjacent bearer discs,and means yieldably urging said bearer discs axially toward said body sothat said clutch discs therebetween tend to rotate said body with saidbearer discs; and means operative to halt the rotation of said shaft ina position where said marking element is angularly displaced from themoving surface so that said clutch discs slip while said bearer dis'cscontinue to be rotated by the moving surface, the last mentioned meansincluding an abutment fixed with respect to said shaft to move along acircular path in response to rotation of said shaft with said rollerbody, a stop movable into and out of said circular path for engagementby and release of said abutment, respectively, and means returning thestop into the path of the abutment immediately after the stop hasreleased the abutment thereby limiting the rotation of the roller bodyeach time the abutment is released.

6. A marking assembly comprising a roller body, a shaft supporting saidroller body for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the shaft, amarking element carried by said roller body on a portion of theperiphery thereof, a bearer disc mounted on said shaft for rotationabout the longitudinal axis thereof, a clutch disc of friction materialaxially interposed between the roller body and bearer disc, adjustablespring means urging said bearer disc and said roller body axiallytowards each other thereby frictionally interconnecting the bearer discand roller body, a continuous surface in continuous driving contact withthe periphery .of said bearer disc and in intermittent marking contactwith the marking element during rotation of the roller body, an abutmentrotatable with said roller body, a stop member movable into and out ofthe path of movement of said abutment, and means connected to said stopmember for moving the same into the path of the abutment and haltingrotation of the roller body, said last named means including meansreturning the stop member into the path of the abutment as soon as theabutment passes the stop member. thereby limiting the rotationalmovement of the roller body each time the roller body is released.

7. The marking assembly defined in claim 13 wherein said bearer disc isprovided with a peripheral bearer rim in continuous rolling and drivingcontact with the moving surface being marked, said abutment beingangularly disposed with respect to said marking element so that whensaid stop member projects into the path of the abutment and is engagedby said abutment, said marking element is halted at a position angularlyspaced from contact with the moving surface while said clutch disc slipsto permit continued rotation of said bearer disc.

' 8. A marking assembly comprising a roller body, a shaft supportingsaid roller body for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the shaft,a marking element carried by said roller body on a portion of theperiphery thereof, a bearer disc mounted on said shaft for rotationabout the longitudinal axis thereof, a clutch disc of friction materialaxially interposed between the roller body and bearer disc, adjustablespring means urging said bearer disc and said roller body axiallytowards each other thereby frictionally interconnecting the bearer discand roller body, a continuous surface in continuous driving contact withthe periphery of said bearer disc and in intermittent marking contactwith the marking element during rotation of the roller body, an abutmentrotatable with said roller body, a stop member movable into and out ofthe path of movement of said abutment, and means connected to said stopmember for moving the same into the path of the abutment and haltingrotation of the roller body, said last named means including meansreturning the stop member into the path of the abutment as soon as theabutment passes the stop member thereby limiting the rotational movementof the roller body each time the roller body is released, said bearerdisc being provided with a peripheral bearer rim in continuous rollingand driving contact with the moving surface being marked, said abutmentbeing angularly disposed with respect to said marking element so thatwhen said stop member projects into the path of the abutment and isengaged by said abutment, said marking element is halted at a positionangularly spaced from contact with the moving surface while said clutchdisc slips to permit continued rotation of said bearer disc, an inksupplying system including an ink reservoir, an ink supplying rollerdipping into said reservoir, and a metering roller in rolling contactwith said ink supplying roller and having a bearer rim at one end inrolling contact with said bearer rim of said bearer disc so that saidink supplying and metering rollers are rotated from said bearer disc andsaid metering roller transfers ink to said marking element upon rotationof said roller body with said bearer disc, the angular relationship ofthe abutment to the marking element also causing the marking element tobe halted at a position angularly spaced from said metering rollerwhereby the bearer disc will continuously rotate the metering roller andink supplying roller for preventing drying of ink on the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,290,509 Chandler Ian. 7, 1919 2,226,896 Cooper Dec. 31, 1940 2,613,598McKay Oct. 14, 1952 2,641,999 Jackson June 16, 1953 2,711,237 Wylie June21, 1955

